Man Charged With Murder in Secret Service Officer Death

A D.C. man was arrested in connection with the fatal December shooting of an off-duty Secret Service officer, police said.

Police said they arrested Charles Sims, 29, Monday evening and charged him with first-degree murder while armed.

Sims was charged with the killing of Secret Service Uniformed Division Officer Arthur Baldwin, 30.

Police say they believe Sims attempted to rob Baldwin before the shooting. Baldwin was unarmed when the robbery occurred, police said.

Baldwin was shot multiple times about 2:50 p.m. Dec. 15 in the 4700 block of 1st Street SW. Police arrived at the scene and found Baldwin unconscious. Baldwin was sent to a local hospital, where he later died, police said.

At the time of his death, Baldwin was on administrative leave from the Secret Service after an ex-girlfriend accused him of breaking into her home, NBC Washington previously reported.

Police said that the shooting was unrelated to the alleged break-in or his job.

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The Secret Service said Baldwin had most recently been assigned to the White House. He worked for the Secret Service for eight years and has a wife and three children.

Just hours before he was slain Dec. 15, Baldwin appeared in court on a charge of destruction of property stemming from an April 2015 incident in which he allegedly tried to break into his girlfriend's home.

According to a police report from April, Baldwin, then 29, tried to break into the woman's Southeast D.C. home before fleeing the scene. The report said the woman was "crying, shaking and appeared to be in fear of her life," and that she told a responding officer, "My ex-boyfriend won't leave me alone."

The police report said two windows were broken and the hinges to a door of the home were damaged. Authorities said Baldwin returned to the home after police arrived and asked to talk to the woman. They asked him if he kicked the door, and he allegedly replied that he kicked the door, but hadn't broken any windows. Police said Baldwin hadn't gotten close enough to see any windows were broken.

Police found Baldwin's loaded service weapon in a bag in his truck, according to a court document.

Baldwin was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and destruction of property. He pleaded not guilty, was released and ordered to stay away from his girlfriend. The U.S. Attorney's Office later dismissed the burglary charge.

On Dec. 15, Baldwin appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor destruction of property charge. A non-jury trial date was set for next year.

In the wake of the alleged break-in, Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy had ordered Baldwin to be placed on administrative leave, and his security clearance was suspended.

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